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Community of Latin America and Caribbean States / Rafael León Rodríguez

The Second CELAC Summit ended in Havana this January 29th with more pain for Cuban protestors and the population than glories for the anti-democratic authorities, despite the praise received by the hosts of the for the most part satisfied and grateful visitors from Latin America and the Caribbean.

A few leaders from the hemisphere saved the dignity of democracy and in their speeches valued the human rights of all and for all. But the highest note hit in this regard was that of the Secretary General of the United Nations, his excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon, during a press conference, in which he pointed out some details of his conversations with the patriarchs of the island. In these, he said, he referred to the ratification of the United Nations Covenants on civil and political and economic, social and cultural rights by the Cuban government, who already signed them in 2008, and invited them to advance the theme of human rights in general.

The estimable presidents, prime ministers and Heads of Delegations at the meeting forgot, apparently, that on 11 September 2001, in Lima, Peru, the representatives of their governments in those moments, signed the Inter-American Democratic Charter, which in its Article 3 states:

“There are essential elements of representative democracy, among others, with respect to human rights and fundamental freedoms; the access to power and its exercise and its exercise within the rule of law; the celebration of regular, free, fair elections, based on universal and secrete suffrage as an expression of the sovereignty of the people; the plural regime of political parties and organizations; and the separation and independence of the public powers.”

It is not a coincidence that the Cuban regime is the only one among the 33 that make up CELAC that doesn’t recognize the political opposition in Cuba; discriminated against those who disagree with its authoritarian practices; arbitrarily detains peaceful opponents; violates the rights of assembly and peaceful association, among many others and maintains a real totalitarian power over society. The members of CELAC call this permissibility “unity in diversity” to save the consequent ignominy.

Another intelligent and interesting figure used in the statements and in the founding texts of CELAC, to justify the status quo of some undemocratic regime participants is that of “non-interference,” which on occasion converts, somehow “respectful of the sovereignty of others” into complicity with totalitarian states. Thus, in the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace, in point 3 it points out:

“The commitment of the States of the region in strict compliance with their obligation not to intervene, directly or indirectly, in the internal affairs any other state and observe the principles of national sovereignty, equal rights and self-determination of peoples. “

Some sectors of Cuban civil society wanted to conduct a meeting where citizens of different political viewpoints would analyze the founding documents of CELAC. This has not been possible, to date, because of the action of the political police. If the authorities of the island, as would be logical, issued the Declaration of Havana in full, so that it could become known by Cuban citizens, then we, the opponents, would have one more document to discuss and on which to rule democratically. Let no one doubt it.